3 Answers
3

You can make a lot of these changes using the net command line tool. It's annoying an inelegant, but it works.

net user can be used to set things like password expiration, add a comment to the user, change display name, modify when the user can log in, whether they can change their password, if the account ever expires, and whether it is enabled.

Wow, I knew about net group (which doesn't work!) but not about net localgroup... that's indeed very useful. +1 thanks... it's not the easiest tool but yeah, it seems like it works.
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MehrdadNov 25 '11 at 9:11

You might look around for a third-party GUI front-end to the net tools. One probably exists. As far as I know, it's the only built in way on Home editions of Windows.
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nhinkle♦Nov 25 '11 at 9:15

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping for... it's not critical but if I find it it would make things a lot easier.
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MehrdadNov 25 '11 at 9:18

I'd prefer a hack/crack of a sort that'd eliminate the limitation. There is a working solution for enabling the group policy editor. I wish there were an alike way to enable the local users and groups thing.
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IvanJul 24 '13 at 23:00

1

@Ivan this is the best crack I know of for enabling these features.
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nhinkle♦Jul 24 '13 at 23:19

-1 for several reasons: (1) home editions do support the same features as professional; they just don't have the tools for editing them; (2) you certainly can modify objects' security permissions in home editions (I do that very often); (3) home editions have more than 2 types of users -- in fact, they have as many types as professional, including Users, Administrators, Guests, Backup Operators, etc.
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MehrdadNov 25 '11 at 8:45

Those types are equivalent to non-exist if you can't access them, aren't they? They may use the same os kernel (so the same features are all built-in), but you don't actually have the license to use them!
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billc.cnNov 25 '11 at 8:50

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No one says you don't have the license to use them -- they're perfectly well-accessible while programming with the Windows API. It just so happens that they've removed the GUI. Have you ever typed control userpasswords2 in the command prompt? It's the perfect counterexample to your speculation.
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MehrdadNov 25 '11 at 9:00

1

The GUI clearly says "This snapin may not be used", not "This feature may not be used". Please stop speculating and actually back up your claims.
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MehrdadNov 25 '11 at 9:10

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(1) How is Windows XP Home related to Windows 7 Home? I haven't tried XP Home, but on Windows 7 Home Premium there are at least like a dozen groups. (2) There is a clear difference between "breaching the terms" and "if you really need them, use net". Is it illegal or is it just difficult? Pick one and stick with it.
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MehrdadNov 25 '11 at 9:37